Holographic Assistant
A Holographic Assistant,Half-Life also known as Holographic Guide,Half-Life: Blue Shift is a technology used by Black Mesa to replace live assistants in monitoring the employee's training. Overview Gina Cross and Miller are responsible for the training of scientists and security guards, respectively. When their work requires them to be elsewhere in the facility, they are replaced by their holographic counterparts, to which they gave their appearance and for which they recorded the instructions. While Richard Keller, Isaac Kleiner and Colette Green also supervise Hazard Course trainings, they do not seem to have holographic counterparts. Used in the Black Mesa's Hazard Course, the assistant directs scientists and security guards to the different hazards they might meet during their work at Black Mesa. Scientists are above all trained to the use of the HEV Suit during the standard Hazard Course, while security guards go through less dangerous tests, since they are only protected by their simple helmets and Kevlar vests, during the Black Mesa Hazard Course for Security Guard Training. Additional scientists often monitor the trainings from nearby examination rooms. Holography is also used by Black Mesa scientists for sending messages, such as a message addressed to Walter Bennet seen by Adrian Shephard in Sector E. In the Opposing Force chapter We Are Not Alone, Shephard is allowed to use the Displacer Cannon to transport himself to the original Hazard Course, where Gina's hologram counterpart is still running in the part where ducking to go through pipes is taught. Interestingly, the damaged course is full of Vortigaunts, who attack the hologram, probably thinking it is a living being, but do not damage it. Shephard has to use the teleport located in the nearby observation room after coming across a dead security guard with a shotgun next to him and performing the ducking task. The observation room also includes an Easter egg image seen several times in Blue Shift. In Decay, Gina's hologram counterpart is again seen when Gina Cross and Colette Green are required to cut through the destroyed remains of the Hazard Course to reach the surface with Rosenberg. Zombies instead of scientists are now found in the observation rooms. Behind the scenes *For some reason, the Holographic Assistant model seen in Half-Life (used as the Holographic Assistant in the Hazard Course) and Blue Shift (used as Gina herself delivering the Xen crystal sample into the elevator, minus transparency) actually appears as an older woman with brown eyes, and without the bun pins worn by Gina. This model reuses the face texture of the Half-Life: Day One "player.mdl" model, sharing Gordon Freeman's and the Holographic Assistant model, with changes to make her appear older (and clearly named "olderface.bmp", while the young face is simply named "face.bmp"). The Decay Holographic Assistant model was however remade as a retcon to fit Gina's likeness, although the bun pins in the hair are still missing. Trivia *Holography is featured in many science fiction universes, such as Star Wars or Star Trek. Gallery File:Gina player.jpg|The early hologram / gina model, found in "player.mdl" in the Half-Life: Day One files. File:Gina early.jpg|Hi-res render of the early hologram model. File:Hazard1.jpg|The early hologram / gina model in the early Hazard Course. File:Hazard0.jpg|Ditto. File:Gina face.png|The face texture of the Half-Life: Day One model (also featured in the Half-Life SDK files). File:Gina face older.png|The face texture of the Half-Life Holographic Assistant model. File:Gina holo model.jpg|Gina's hologram model, and older woman, as seen in Half-Life. File:Gina holo model decay.jpg|Gina's hologram model as seen in Decay. File:Hazard Course.jpg|Cross' hologram during Freeman's Hazard Course. File:T0a00006.jpg|Cross' hologram showing Gordon how to make a duck jump. File:Vicarious Reality2.jpg|The hologram message addressed to Bennet. File:Miller.jpg|Closeup of Miller's hologram. File:Decay schedule.jpg|Hazard Course Training schedule given to Colette Green by Gina Cross. List of appearances *''Half-Life: Day One'' *''Half-Life'' *''Half-Life: Uplink'' *''Half-Life: Opposing Force'' *''Half-Life: Blue Shift'' *''Half-Life'' PlayStation 2 instruction manual *''Half-Life: Decay'' References See also *Hazard Course (Half-Life) *Hazard Course (Blue Shift) Category:Black Mesa technology